In this companion volume to The Saint John's Bible, Christopher Calderhead takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of this extraordinary project. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the makers of the Bible and the community at Saint John's Abbey and University, this book tells the complete story of creation of the Bible. The day-to-day struggles of such a monumental undertaking included selecting and preparing hundreds of calf skins, forming a team of calligraphers accustomed to working independently, and communicating the concerns of the advisory council in Minnesota with the artists in Wales. Illuminating the Word explores a modern version of an age-old relationship between patron and artist. It describes lectio divina, the unique method the Benedictine monks use to read the Bible, in which the Holy Scriptures come alive through the power of imagination. It explores the challenge of creating new images for ancient stories. It chronicles the artistic techniques, the tools and materials, and the workshop practices Donald Jackson used to create his lifetime masterpiece. Illuminating the Word reveals the working process behind one of the greatest undertakings of our time and vividly brings to life its challenges and triumphs. This second edition of Illuminating the Word is completely revised and updated, following the completion of The Saint Johns Bible, with hundreds of pages of new material.